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When you think of horror movie soundtracks, it’s probably screeching strings and spooky synths rather than fingerstyle guitar that first come to mind.
But, in anticipation of Hallows’ Eve, we – the Thalia ghoul squad – have been doing a bit of digging to find some acoustic guitar goodness with a suitably seasonal edge.
And, we were amazed to discover that several very talented YouTubers have taken a stab (pun intended) at imagining horror music staples as fingerstyle acoustic pieces. And what’s more, they’ve done a great job, and clearly had a scream in the process (ok, we’ll stop with the bad Halloween puns, we promise!).
There are loadsof great horror-inspired acoustic guitar covers out there, and this list just scratches the surface. But, nonetheless, here are five awesome Halloween-appropriate acoustic guitar covers that we think you should check out!
“This is Halloween” (from The Nightmare Before Christmas) – Acoustic Trench
We always thought that “This is Halloween” – from Tim Burton and Henry Selick’s stop-motion 1992 cult-classic “The Nightmare Before Christmas” – would work great fingerstyle on acoustic guitar.
And, as this arrangement from Acoustic Trench shows, we were right on the money. A faultless take that instantly evokes the original, while retaining a character and charm all of its own.
“Halloween Theme” (Michael Myers’ Theme) – Albert Gyorfi
Composed by director John Carpenter (who famously scored the majority of his own films), the original 1978 “Halloween Theme” (also known as “Michael Myers’ Theme”) is a cold and eerie slice of synth-driven understatement.
Translating that piece to classical guitar while retaining that vibe seemed like a challenge to us, but Albert Gyorfi has delivered the goods with this short-but-sweet and, oh-so spooky take. The built up towards the ending and the abrupt finale seem to work particularly well on a six-string.
“Tubular Bells” (Exorcist Theme) – Kye Gratton
YouTuber Kye Gratton says he worked for four years on his acoustic cover of Mike Oldfield’s “Tubular Bells” (better known by many as the theme from “The Exorcist”). It shows.
The haunting beauty of Oldfield’s original composition is captured magnificently in this arrangement, which features DADGBE tuning with a capo on the 5th fret.
Many guitarists that attempt “Tubular Bells” will use a looping station to repeat the main string. But, Gratton commits to an incredibly difficult, but awesome sounding, one-take approach. As one YouTube commenter notes: “if you only hear this cover you would think there are 3 guitars playing this song.”
We also love the strikes he uses to imitate the bell chime from the original recording. Inspired choice!
“The Addams Family Theme” – Marcos Kaiser
Given how iconic the tune is, and how relatively easy it is to play, there are tonnes of fingerstyle guitar covers of Vic Mizzy’s “Addams Family” theme floating around on the internet.
With a distinctive arrangement for seven string guitar though, Marcos Kaiser’s definitely stands out. The familiarity of the song will greet you like a warm, old overcoat. But, those unexpected flourishes with keep you on your toes andhave you reaching for your guitar.
“Thriller” (Michael Jackson) – Kelly Valleau
Michael Jackson’s horror-movie themed “Thriller” is an epic, and a stone-cold pop classic. But, given the elaborate studio layers that make up the studio recording – courtesy of producer Quincy Jones – you’d be forgiven for thinking that it wouldn’t make a great solo acoustic guitar piece.
Well, Kelly Valleau is here to prove you wrong with this inspired take on Jacko’s 1982 classic. Starting off slow and understated, Kelly’s well-placed percussive strikes as the song builds result in a surprisingly full-bodied, yet refreshingly mellow rendition. We’re aware that sounds like a description you’d read on a bottle of Pinot Grigio, but listen to the song and you’ll see what we mean!
So those are our picks, but we want to hear from you! Are there any horror-themed fingerstyle guitar pieces that you’re passionate about? And what are the songs that go on your Halloween playlist?
As always, share your stories in the comments!
It’s safe to say that some of the most influential musicians in the 1960s came from Britain. The list sure backs up that fact: Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend, Peter Green, Richie Blackmore, John Lennon, George Harrison, and I can go on and on and on...
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But as omnipresent as they are, how many guitarists have pondered the history of the pick itself? Who are they? What were they doing?
